Flight Instructor course at OAA
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 147
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From: UK
Flight Instructor course at OAA
Hi guys
I'm interested in doing a FI Course and was thinking of Oxford aviation Academy. Just wondering what peoples experiences have been there ? Do they hire you if you qualify? And is the true cost £8k as stated on the website?
Thanks in advance
I'm interested in doing a FI Course and was thinking of Oxford aviation Academy. Just wondering what peoples experiences have been there ? Do they hire you if you qualify? And is the true cost £8k as stated on the website?
Thanks in advance
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 62
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From: Europe
Just a piece of information...
FI courses in Poland is about 5-6k (in EUR) at Bartoloni air in Lodz... Check their website! There is also smartaero in Warsaw which is good as well!
I was in touch with Bartoloni air to start with them but I am no more convince to invest money on a FI(a) training! I wanna fly for a turboprop or jet company and FI is not sexy as it used to be... My point of view of course! I'd rather search for a specific training which would be valued by the airlines!
FI courses in Poland is about 5-6k (in EUR) at Bartoloni air in Lodz... Check their website! There is also smartaero in Warsaw which is good as well!
I was in touch with Bartoloni air to start with them but I am no more convince to invest money on a FI(a) training! I wanna fly for a turboprop or jet company and FI is not sexy as it used to be... My point of view of course! I'd rather search for a specific training which would be valued by the airlines!
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 147
Likes: 0
From: UK
Thanks for all the feedback and the advertisement for various schools.
I'm just trying to find the best training and post training employment chances. I know Bournemouth Commercial Flight Training where I did my training have the same course with a similar price tag and good employment chances. However as we know OAA have a great reputation and overall employment chances might be better.
I'm just trying to find the best training and post training employment chances. I know Bournemouth Commercial Flight Training where I did my training have the same course with a similar price tag and good employment chances. However as we know OAA have a great reputation and overall employment chances might be better.
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,817
Likes: 1
From: Hotel Gypsy
Despite my best efforts I'm about to fail my exams for the Diplomatic Corps.
I can't think of a worse place to do an FI Course. Oxford is a sausage machine and, at best, you will be trained to teach the 'Oxford Integrated Way'. This is fine if you want to stay with an integrated school where you will teach to a strict, stove-piped syllabus which has little to do with real world flying. I have seen two instructors 'progress' to Oxford and both of them have subsequently sent me CVs.
I employ FIs, quite a few of them. Firstly, I will always look at employing people that have been trained by our team - they are used to our ways, need little standardisation and have just gone through a 30hr, 6-week job interview. Next up the pile of CVs are instructors who have gone to one of the FI Instructors who have a very, very good reputation in the industry. From my perspective, these are Eva Ceh at Denham, Carole Cooper at Andrewsfield, Caroline Smith at Booker, On Track and one or two others. I know there are more but hopefully you get my drift - if any of the above called me saying they had a good graduate looking for FI work I would take that individual without interview. Conversely, if Oxford called me I would interview and insist on an assessment flight with our CFI/HoT.
Top Tip - don't get drawn in by the 'bling'.
I can't think of a worse place to do an FI Course. Oxford is a sausage machine and, at best, you will be trained to teach the 'Oxford Integrated Way'. This is fine if you want to stay with an integrated school where you will teach to a strict, stove-piped syllabus which has little to do with real world flying. I have seen two instructors 'progress' to Oxford and both of them have subsequently sent me CVs.
I employ FIs, quite a few of them. Firstly, I will always look at employing people that have been trained by our team - they are used to our ways, need little standardisation and have just gone through a 30hr, 6-week job interview. Next up the pile of CVs are instructors who have gone to one of the FI Instructors who have a very, very good reputation in the industry. From my perspective, these are Eva Ceh at Denham, Carole Cooper at Andrewsfield, Caroline Smith at Booker, On Track and one or two others. I know there are more but hopefully you get my drift - if any of the above called me saying they had a good graduate looking for FI work I would take that individual without interview. Conversely, if Oxford called me I would interview and insist on an assessment flight with our CFI/HoT.
Top Tip - don't get drawn in by the 'bling'.
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 302
Likes: 0
From: UK
I'm laughing cos mad_jock and Cows Getting Bigger said pretty much what I had originally written and then deleted.
Oxford might give you a slight advantage if you want an airline job. In my experience it will look poor on your CV if you're looking for an FI job compared to an FI from the other places mentioned.
The two Oxford graduates I have flown with had very little situational awareness in the VFR environment. They may have been fine heading for Ryanair but their ability to fly a visual circuit and plan for separation in non-controlled airspace was not good. Even if your previous training was elsewhere, to choose OAA as a training provider shows no understanding or knowledge of the real world.
Oxford might give you a slight advantage if you want an airline job. In my experience it will look poor on your CV if you're looking for an FI job compared to an FI from the other places mentioned.
The two Oxford graduates I have flown with had very little situational awareness in the VFR environment. They may have been fine heading for Ryanair but their ability to fly a visual circuit and plan for separation in non-controlled airspace was not good. Even if your previous training was elsewhere, to choose OAA as a training provider shows no understanding or knowledge of the real world.
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 613
Likes: 1
From: London
I thought they had stopped offering FI courses? Not core business and no money in it I was told. When they were running these courses a few years back the advertising was horrible - anyone remember the cheap looking stock photo of a greasy haired 'instructor' wearing a pair of Poundland mirrored sunglasses gazing up to the sky accompanied by some inspirational invitational...Increase your potential after 'graduating' to join RYR by paying some more cash and instructing as there aren't any jobs at the moment...or something similar? Not high quality and a real pity because they had such a great reputation and some great ex-CFS instructors on staff. The industry has changed so much.
